By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Lagos State government has shut 34 medicine outlets at 5 local councils for non-compliance to regulatory standards.
The councils are: Shomolu, Bariga, Gbagada, Shomolu and Kosofe Local Councils as well as Bale and Savage streets in Orile Iganmu Local Council Development Area of the state.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health, said this after reviewing the report of the recent monitoring, inspection and enforcement exercises carried out by the Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food, on Friday, explained that the affected outlets were shut for contravening regulations guiding the operations of sale of medicines in the State.
Abayomi, according to the Guardian, explained further that the affected premises were sealed for offences including inappropriate storage conditions of drugs, having unskilled persons handling and dispensing drugs, sale of drugs by illegal shop owners, stocking of expired drugs and sale of drugs in market places.
While noting that the sale of medicines are only allowed in registered and licensed outlets, Abayomi said patent medicine vendors are authorized to sell drug products only in their original and approved pack size as produced by the manufacturing companies.
He added that the law prohibits patent medicine vendors and licensed pharmaceutical premises from operating beyond their scope.
According to him, the recent operation was a follow up to the rejigged enforcement exercise by the task force to sanitize the drug distribution chain in Lagos State.
